Liquid parking meter



Fil M Oct. 18, 1955 E ETAL 2,720,922

[M f( Ml/W MM! I 7 Elissa/1L. Courson ATTORNEYS INVENTORS i iozepiezwlloz Oct. 18, 1955 Filed March 18, 1953 R. J. BELL ETAL LIQUID PARKING METER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I III M I I g y w mam H w I I 60 "1? I MM 1 W I I W; INVENTORS 29/ RolertJBell (Q .gselL. om'aoa 485a Mat/7%.

ATTD RN EYB United States Patent LIQUID PARKING METER Robert J. Bell and Russell L. Cour-son, Orlando, Fla. Application March 18, 1953, Serial No. 343,214

Claims. (Cl. 161-15) This invention relates to coin actuated parking meters, and in particular a parking meter in which the perlod of time is determined by the time it takes a quantity of liquld to flow through an orifice.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for determining the termination of time periods wherein different periods of time may be indicated in a single instrument.

Various attempts have been made to use pennies, mckels, and dimes in parking meters for indicating the termination of different periods of time, however, with conventional operating mechanisms used in parking meters it is difficult to adjust the meter to accommodate coins of different denominations. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a parking meter wherein different periods of time are indicated by quantities of a liquid and in which one quantity of liquid is deposited into a receiver when a coin of one denomination is placed in a coin slot of the meter and a different quantity of liquid is deposited into the receiver when a coin of a different denomination is placed in a coin slot of the meter whereby with the liquid of the receiver returning to a storage container through a controlled orifice the different periods of time are readily indicated.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for indicating the length of time it takes a predetermined quantity of liquid to pass through an orifice whereby with the liquid deposited into a receiver the complete evacuation of the receiver determines the termination of a time period.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin actuated liquid controlled parking meter in which time periods corresponding with coins of different denominations are independently indicated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin actuated liquid controlled parking meter which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a casing having a liquid storage container in combination with a receiver with the receiver positioned above the container and connected thereto with a comparatively small passage and coin actuated means for conveying liquid from the storage container to the receiver.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view illustrating the improved liquid controlled parking meter and showing a window in a front wall of the meter wherein the quantity of liquid in the receiver positioned behind the window is visible through the window.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the meter taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 with parts broken away showing registering slots positioned to receive coins from one of the coin chutes.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan through the meter taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing a coin in the position of retaining one of the liquid measuring cups in an elevated position.

Figure 4 is a cross section through the meter taken on line 44 of Fig. 3 and showing the parts in the positions as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a detail showing a section similar to that shown in Fig. 4 illustrating the coin gripping jaws of the meter with the jaws in the open position wherein a coin is released therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the liquid controlled parking meter of this invention includes a shaft 10 having a sleeve 11 journaled thereon, a cylinder 12 journaled on the sleeve and shaft and having a stem 13 extended therefrom, an operating crank 14 positioned on the end of the stem 13, cups 15 and 16 carried by tubular stems 17 and 18, respectively with the stem 17 secured to the shaft 10 and the stem 18 secured to the sleeve 11, a liquid receiver 19, a storage container 20 which is connected to the receiver 19 with a tube 21, levers 22 and 23 for actuating suitable coin gripping jaws and a spring 24 for returning the crank 14 and cylinder 12 to coin receiving positions.

The shaft 10 is provided with a pin 25 by which it is journaled in an end wall 26 of a housing of the meter, as shown in Fig. 2 and the opposite end is journaled in the cylinder 12 which is rotatably mounted by a bushing 27 in the end wall 28 of the housing.

The end walls 26 and 28 of the housing extend upwardly from a base 29 and the housing is also provided with a front wall 30, a rear wall 31 and a top 32.

The shaft 10 is also provided with a collar 33 that is positioned in the cylinder 12 and a collar 34 that is spaced beyond the end of the cylinder and the sleeve 11 is positioned between the collars. The shaft 10 is also provided with a recess 35 that registers with a coin slot 36 in the cylinder 12 with the parts in the positions as shown in Fig. 2 and in this position the slot 36 and recess 35 also register with the coin slot 37 that extends through the top 32 of the housing. With the parts in this position a coin deposited in the slot 37 drops into the slot 36 with the lower edge extended into the recess 35 and with the coin in this position the shaft 10 is adapted to be rotated by the crank 14 whereby the cup 15 may be moved from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to an upwardly disposed position whereby liquid carried upwardly by the cup runs through the tubular stem 17 into a compartment 38 of the receiver 19. Upon release of the crank the crank and cylinder 12 are returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 by the spring 24, one end of which is secured to the cylinder 12 at the point 39 and the other to the end wall 28 of the housing at the point 4-9.

The housing is also provided with a coin slot 41 that is positioned to register with a slot 42 in the cylinder 12 and also with a slot 43 in the sleeve 11 and a coin deposited in the slot 41 rests in the slots 42 and 43 locking the cylinder and sleeve so that the sleeve turns with the cylinder.

Upon dropping a coin in the coin slot 41 the coin drops into the slots 42 and 43 and upon rotation of the cylinder 12 by the crank 14 the coin causes both the cylinder and sleeve to rotate in a counterclockwise direction from that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 whereby the cup 16 is elevated from the storage container 20 to the position shown in Fig. 4 with the spout or tube 18 carrying liquid therein into the compartment 44 of the receiver 19 and in this movement the plate 45 extended from the cylinder 12 engages a projection 46 on the lever 22, snapping into a notch 47 and with continued movement of the plate 45 the lever 22 actuates a crank 48 pivotally mounted in an arm 49 whereby the lower end 50 of the crank and on which coin gripping jaws 51 and 52 are mounted moves from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4 with the jaws gripping a coin as indicated by the numeral 53. The jaws 51 and 52 are urged together with a spring 54 and projections 55 and 56 on the opposite ends of'the jaws are positioned to engage cam surfaces 57 and 58.

With the coin gripped between the jaws 51 and 52 the spring 24 returns the cylinder 12 with the plate 45 moving from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5 and upon initial movement of the plate the lever 22 moves the jaws 51 and 52 whereby the coin 53 is released, and with the coin 53 released so that it drops to ward the lower part of the housing the weight of the cups and 16'dropping downwardly into the storage container rotates the sleeve 11 and shaft 10, returning the shaft and sleeve to positions for receiving additional coins.

The coin slots 37 and 41 are provided with arms 59 and 60 that are positioned to be engaged by inclined surfaces 61 of the levers 22 and 23 whereby upon the initial movement of the levers 22 and 23 by the plates the plates are released, permitting the plates to return to the positions shown in Fig. 5.

The receiver 19, which is mounted in the front wall 26, is provided with a partition 62 dividing the receiver into the compartments 38 and 44 and the compartment 38 is also provided with a spout or tube 63 similar to the tube 21. The receiver may be provided with a frame 64, and as illustrated in Fig. 1 the front wall 65 of the receiver is formed of transparent material.

Withthe parts formed in this manner a coin, such as a penny, causes the cup 15 to be elevated as the coin drops through the slot 37 into the slot 36 and recess 35 when the crank is turned, and as a coin such as a fivecent piece or nickel is deposited in the slot 41 the large cup 16 will be elevated as the crank is turned.

By this means different quantities of liquid may be placed in the receiver and the elevation of the liquid in the receiver is noted through the transparent panel 65.

With notations such as the numerals 66 and 67 on the face of the meter the time periods are readily indicated.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid controlled parking meter comprising a receiver, a storage container, a restricted passage connecting the receiver to the storage container whereby liquid flows from the receiver to the storage container by gravity, means for removing predetermined quantities of liquid from the storage container and supplying same to the receiver, and means for manually actuating said liquid removing means.

2. A liquid controlled parking meter comprising a receiver, a storage container, a restricted passage connecting the receiver to the storage container whereby liquid flows from the receiver to the storage container by gravity, means for removing predetermined quantities of liquid from the storage container and supplying I same to the receiver, means for manually actuating said liquid removing means, and resilient means for returning the manually actuated means to an inoperative position.

3. A liquid controlled parking meter comprising a receiver, a storage container, a restricted passage connecting the receiver to the storage container whereby liquid flows from the receiver to the storage container by gravity, means for removing predetermined quantities of liquid from the storage container and supplying same to the receiver, means for manually actuating said liquid removing means, resilient means returning the manually actuated means to an inoperative position, said receiver having a transparent window therein through which the level of liquid in the receiver is ascertained.

4. In a liquid controlled meter, the combination which comprises a storage container, a receiver positioned at an elevation above said storage container, a restricted connection between the receiver and storage container positioned whereby liquid flows from the receiver to the storage container by gravity, said receiver being divided into compartments, means for removing liquid from the storage container and supplying the same to the compartments of the receiver, a crank for manually actuating the removing means, and means for returning the crank to an inoperative position, said liquid removing means being returned to inoperative positions by gravity.

5. In a liquid parking meter, the combination which comprises a storage container, a receiver having a plurality of compartments therein positioned at an elevation above that of the storage container, restricted passages connecting the receiver to the storage container positioned to permit the flow of liquid from the receiver to the storage container by gravity, a housing having slots therein in which the storage container and receiver are positioned, a shaft journaled in the housing, a sleeve journaled on the shaft, a cylinder having a hand actuated crank extended from one end positioned around the sleeve, said sleeve, cylinder and shaft having slots therein and said parts being adapted to be adjusted to positions wherein the slots are in registering relation, and liquid conveying elements carried by the shaft and sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

